Lopez-McMillan, who has taught every grade from kindergarten through high school in her 23-year, public school teaching career, says she wanted to use an approach that was fun and effective in her new business. And, she says, interactive CD-ROM language programs fit that bill. 'There's something in foreign language learning called total physical response (TPR),' she says as she guides 14-year-old Elbert Hawkins through a vocabulary game on the Triple-Play Spanish CD-ROM. 'There's the physical activity of moving the mouse, plus Elbert is seeing it (the written language) and he's hearing it.
![Three In All Languages Three In All Languages](https://images.sftcdn.net/images/t_optimized,f_auto/p/fd6a3d30-96d8-11e6-8135-00163ec9f5fa/3455943565/duolingo-learn-languages-free-screenshot.png)
The commands and the reward words are in Spanish. This is TPR in a non-threatening way -- it's non-threatening to all age groups.' Because Lopez-McMillan has students ranging in age from 3 1/2 to 60-plus, she uses a variety of CD-ROM programs and a variety of teaching techniques. 'It's an eclectic approach,' she says.
![All In One Language Fun Download All In One Language Fun Download](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/dc/e1/1c/dce11c3c9d1e2f04a9febfbc4273fabe--all-in-one-preschool-classroom.jpg)
'I know that you need to use as many senses as possible to do the best teaching.' The following CD-ROM language programs offer a wide range of activities on several levels. 'All-In-One Language Fun!' (Syracuse Language Systems, $29.95; Windows 3.1/95, Macintosh): 'This is one of the best,' Lopez-McMillan says. 'It's very inexpensive and fun and it's a great present for anybody. It's less than $30 and you can learn all these languages (Spanish, French, German, Japanese, English) from this one program.'
Beginning learners of all ages will get an innovative introduction to the five languages by playing familiar games such as Bingo, Concentration and Simon Says. There are several levels to the games, each of which bases its 'lessons' on everyday objects -- numbers, fruits, vegetables, articles of clothing. Native speakers narrate, and bright graphics appeal to younger learners. 'French (or Spanish) Your Way' (Syracuse Language Systems, $80; Windows 3.1/95): This impressive program is one of the most down-to-earth CD-ROM language learning experiences tested. Its content is based on real-life conversations that travelers, business people or students might encounter, and its speech-recognition feature is light years ahead of the old language lab 'listen-and-repeat' drills.
It works like this: In the dining section, for example, a menu appears in French and a native-speaking narrator describes one of the items. You choose the item listing, say it in French into the microphone (provided with the software) and get a response in French telling you if your answer is correct or incorrect. If it is the latter, whether in choice or pronunciation or both, a buzzer sounds and a narrator gently tells you've made an error and encourages you to try again. This is not a simple playback feature. Speech recognition detects your voice and accent. It compares your voice to the native speakers' and responds.
The rating should be I loved it - I cannot run this program on my current computer.:( So if you buy it, be aware that it probably won't work. I have used this primarily with young children. It's not perfect, it's kinda basic, but it's cute. There are several activities and most have 2 or 3 levels. It includes vocabulary bingo, which is a.
There are a geography game, a crossword exercise, grammar drills and more, but one of the most exciting features is the 'branching conversation.' Here, the path of your conversation is directed by how you respond to the narrator rather than whether you select a predetermined answer and repeat it. The computer's response depends on your choice and adjusts to whatever direction the content takes. Not only are you participating in the simulated dialogue, but you're learning to react, to think and to use the language.
A companion to any language program is 'Let's Talk' (Syracuse Language Systems, $45; Windows 3.1/95): a nifty vocabulary builder with French, Spanish, German and Italian all on one disk. This is a series of games that use graphics, text, narration and speech recognition to teach groups of words that fit with everyday categories. 'Learn to Speak French (Spanish, German, Italian, English)' (The Learning Company, $109; Windows 3.1/95, Macintosh): 'I taught a 60-year-old woman to speak French this summer with this program,' Lopez-McMillan says. 'I started at the beginning of June, and she went on a barge trip to France with her husband at the end of September.
![Fun Facts About Language Fun Facts About Language](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x1q8Q73mJZw/V5jzy1gGn_I/AAAAAAAABZQ/epeTCsuHnt884MJ1SxSDDOqIISIfmPVIQCKgB/s1600/irregular%2Bpast%2Btense%2Bverb%2Bgame%2Bset%2B%2Bcopy.jpg)
It's magnificent.' Lopez-McMillan says that while the 'Learn to Speak' series is geared for adults, advanced high school students could use it, too.
The course is situation-based -- conversations involve common travel experiences such as changing money, complaining about your room or taking the Paris Metro. Each chapter deals with a different experience and the vocabulary, narrative and exercises relate to that. For example, at the bakery the opening video shows footage of gorgeous pastries, folks buying bread and boulangerie exteriors. The vocabulary is bakery-related in that the narrator says words such as 'croissant,' explains what they are in English, then uses the words in context. At the same time, you see text in both languages.